'No hurry': CEC on Wayanad bypoll after Rahul's MP disqualification
What's the story
Rajiv Kumar, the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC), said on Wednesday that the election body is in no hurry to conduct a bypoll in Kerala's Wayanad Lok Sabha constituency, reported Hindustan Times. To note, the seat fell vacant after Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was disqualified from the Lower House of Parliament last week, a day after he was convicted in a 2019 defamation trial.
Statement
ECI has 6 months to conduct bypoll
Responding to a question at a press conference for the Karnataka election, Kumar said that Gandhi has 30 days to exercise his judicial remedies. "We were informed of his disqualification on March 23," he added. Citing Section 151 of the Representation of People Act, Kumar informed that the Election Commission of India (ECI) has six months to hold a by-election for Wayanad.
Case
Gandhi asked to vacate his government-allotted residence
Gandhi was sentenced to two years in prison by a Surat court last week for his remarks against PM Narendra Modi. During an election campaign in 2019, he said, "How come all the thieves have Modi as a common surname?" The Congress leader has also been asked to vacate his government-allotted bungalow by April 22 post his suspension.